Squirrel!!!!
Have any of you watched the Movie “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty”? This is most definitely in my top 10 favorite movies to watch. I’m sure it’s not in the top 10 movies for most people but for me it hits soooooo close to home. Maybe too close to home. " The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" is a short story by James Thurber. It explores the fantastical daydreams of the mundane Walter Mitty. Walter leads a very boring life. As Walter Mitty peruses his life, he daydreams of an amazing life that he could lead. His daydreams are often so realistic that he actually believes he is living them out. Yes this hit’s too close to home for me. Just ask my wife Jen. It’s very frustrating to her to be deep in some discussion with me and then to realize that I am totally somewhere else.
We call this one of my Mitty moments.
I’m not good at being a part of meetings. And with the advent of COVID and the onslaught of Zoom meetings now available to us it seems that everybody and their brother wants to hold a meeting. Maybe they’re not happening more than they used to. Maybe I dislike zoom meetings so much that it just feels that way. Being on a zoom meeting creates a perfect petri dish that allows my disease to flourish. How many times am I asked a question and my response makes it totally clear that I am somewhere else.. (I’m a rugged mountain hiker on the peak of Kilimanjaro where I run into a beautiful office lady (kristen wiig) bringing me a cup of freshly brewed coffee). It’s very embarrassing.
On a recent church mission meeting I had one of these Mitty moments. My mind didn’t whisk me away to some fantastical place though. I was actually thinking about something that kind of pertained. I was thinking of my involvement in our mission committee.. I love this committee. We do so many great things. If you get the chance you really should check out our church website (Scotia Trinity Presbyterian Church Site) and see a list of things that we do.. Trinity is a small church but we really do big things. I think that’s part of what makes the church so great (my mind is already WAYYYYYYY off track. Bring it back Mitty!!).
Some of Trinity’s Mission’s
Anyway my thoughts moved to why I was on this committee. I love to help out with all the great things we do (See a list of things we do). I think it makes me feel good. It’s my responsibility as a church member to do my fair share of work to keep the church running. I know our pastors and other committee members want a successful church. These are the answers that immediately came to mind…. But then my mind wanders more. Is this why I SHOULD be on this committee? I mean, is God really calling me to mission so that I’ll feel better about myself, or so that I have a successful church? Maybe some.. But probably not wholly (hahah.. I actually typed holy first.. Come back Mitty!). I think that God probably wants me doing his work because he commanded it. But did he command it? I mean, what’s the verse in the bible that states I should be doing this because God commanded it and not because it makes me feel good? I’m sure there are a million. I don’t know. I’m sure you are probably confused at this point.. I’m wondering now if I’m on track to complete a comprehensive thought.. Or am I just inviting you into my madness…
If you are out there, and you have gotten to this point, What are some of the passages that say…. You should be doing this because God commanded it? Or you should be doing this because it makes you feel good? Or maybe it should be done for both. Maybe there are other related passages. I’m really interested to hear your thoughts (this really shows my poor memorization of the bible. Embarrassing)..
MISSION MEETING : Pastor Kathy : “. .. . Steve???? Steve. . . ?? Hey!!! Do you have any thoughts on the Backpack program!”. Sorry Kathy. Just had one of my Mitty moments (above).